President Bush said yesterday that he is “not satisfied” with the conditions in Iraq, but he insisted that America has the upper hand over the jihadists and death squads terrorizing Baghdad.

During an hour-long press conference at the White House, Mr. Bush walked a fine line, expressing optimism about the outlook in Iraq while attempting to offer what he called a “candid assessment” of the challenges there.

“I know many Americans are not satisfied with the situation in Iraq. I’m not satisfied, either,” Mr. Bush said in his opening statement. “We must not look at every success of the enemy as a mistake on our part, cause for an investigation, or a reason to call for our troops to come home. We must not fall prey to the sophisticated propaganda by the enemy, who is trying to undermine our confidence and make us believe that our presence in Iraq is the cause of all its problems.”

Asked if America is prevailing in the battle for Iraq, Mr. Bush said, “Absolutely, we’re winning. Al Qaeda is on the run.” The president referred to achievements in the broader war on terror before returning to the question. “We’re winning, and we will win, unless we leave before the job is done. And the crucial battle right now is Iraq,” Mr. Bush said.

Mr. Bush also was asked to explain why American officials recently asked Iraqi officials to agree to specific dates by which private militias would be disbanded and other security goals would be met. Administration officials and other Republicans dubbed Democrats as “Defeatocrats” for making similar suggestions.

“There is a significant difference between benchmarks for a government to achieve and a timetable for withdrawal,” Mr. Bush said. “The benchmarks make it more likely we win. Withdrawing on an artificial timetable means we lose.”

While the president warned about the perils of setting a public timetable for withdrawal of American forces, he signaled that there is some limit to how long he is willing to wait for Iraqi leaders to gain control over the country. “They must respect the fact that we’ve got patience, but not unlimited patience,” the president said.

Mr. Bush urged Americans not to be dejected by the increasing lawlessness in Baghdad and escalating casualties. “Just because the enemy has been able to make some progress doesn’t mean we should leave. Quite the contrary. We ought to do everything we can to help prevent them from making progress,” he said.

Although Mr. Bush expressed confidence in the government of Prime Minister al-Maliki, the Iraqi leader yesterday publicly repudiated claims by American officials that he agreed to the proposed deadlines for meeting security goals.

“I affirm that this government represents the will of the people and no one has the right to impose a timetable on it,” Mr. Maliki said at a Baghdad news conference, according to the Associated Press.

Mr. Maliki went further, dismissing talk of time lines as the product of America’s upcoming elections. “I am positive that this is not the official policy of the American government but rather a result of the ongoing election campaign. And that does not concern us much,” the Iraqi leader said.

Mr. Bush’s critics said they heard nothing new of substance in his comments.

“The Democrats called for benchmarks a year ago,” Senator Biden of Delaware said on MSNBC. “What is he doing to do anything about it? And what is he going to do if in fact benchmarks aren’t met. … All we’ve done is kick this time line down 18 more months to do what they told us before.”

Mr. Biden, who is exploring a run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, said Mr. Bush’s performance was dissolute.

“The president seems confused to me. I mean that literally,” Mr. Biden said. “He’s sending so many different signals here.”

Skepticism about Mr. Bush’s pronouncements extended yesterday to Republican lawmakers in tight re-election battles.

Senator DeWine, a Republican of Ohio, said he differed with Mr. Bush’s assertion that America is winning in Iraq. “I don’t know that you can say that,” Mr. DeWine told CNN.

Mr. DeWine also said it is not America’s duty to resolve the sectarian strife in Iraq. “Ultimately, this is not our battle. This is the Iraqis’ battle,” the senator said.

The president’s press conference puzzled some political analysts because it drew more attention to the troubles in Iraq at a time when most Republican congressional candidates would prefer to discuss the economy or social issues.

Despite polls showing his party in dire straits, Mr. Bush said yesterday that he is convinced Republicans will retain control of the House and the Senate. He mocked Democrats and some in the press for proclaiming a Republican defeat before the ballots have been cast or counted. “We’ve got some people dancing in the end zone here in Washington, D.C.,” the president observed. “We’re going to win.”